Just when I think I’ve had enough with my boyfriend’s sports obsession, it brings us to a fun little weekend getaway in Fort Myers. While Travis attended a basketball officiating camp, I rendezvoused around town with my friend Krystle. Summer is a surprisingly sleepy time of year in Fort Myers, but we had our fair share of fun!
I found a quirky Airbnb in a vacation rental community called the Pyramids in Florida. The Airbnb was perfectly centralized for exploring all corners of Fort Myers. Amenities such as a natural thermal lake, a jungle walk, and a ginormous statue of Beethoven made our stay enjoyable and interesting.
Fort Myers is on the coast, so we wanted to spend some time on the beach. Fort Myers Beach seems like the obvious option, but reminded us a lot of Daytona. A little run down, very touristy, and congested buildings with a crowded beach. We opted to drive a little further South on Estero Boulevard toward Lovers Key State Park.
Lovers Key State Park was more our speed. There is a small entrance fee of $8 into the park, but it is well worth it. Kayaking, camping, bike rentals, and fishing are all available at the park. We were looking to relax, so we headed to the driftwood beach for a lazy day. Follow the boardwalk down to the water, take a right, and walk a quarter of a mile down to find the driftwood. We spent a few hours swinging in a hammock, and enjoying the peaceful scenery as we practically had the beach to ourselves.
Another beach we really enjoyed was Bowditch Point Park. Bowditch Park is at the very North point, passed Fort Myers Beach. Parking is free, but the lot is very small. A palm tree lined boardwalk leads you to a quiet beach front, perfect for a relaxing evening sunset.
If you plan on visiting Fort Myers, you MUST eat at Rosy Tomorrows Heritage Farm for brunch. The farm only serves a brunch menu and reservations are required. Almost all of the ingredients on the menu are directly grown and raised at the farm, or from local farmers in the area. The dining room overlooks a picturesque view of the farm. Between the refreshing watermelon-lime mimosa and the view, I could’ve sat there all day. We had the watermelon feta salad for a starter. For my meal, I had the grass-fed burger topped with truffled feta, candied bacon, and Vidalia onion jam with a side of sweet potato fries. Hands down one of the best burgers I’ve ever had!
Tuckaway Café is another place we loved for lunch, a snack, or coffee. Try the grilled fish bites with remoulade sauce and the black bean salsa.
Now on to the fun…our favorite drinking spots! Aside from the beach, there aren’t a ton of areas to walk from place to place. Expect to drive, or use a ride share service if you’re wanting to check out multiple spots!
The coolest bar we went to was a tiki bar called Bimini Bait Shack, right before the bridge over to Sanibel. Snag a spot at the aquarium top bar, and if you’re lucky, a corner swing spot. Live music and margaritas, can’t beat it!
The Days Inn near our Airbnb had a bar attached to it called the Tiki Bar. It was packed almost every night, so the last night we had to check it out. A local watering hole with cheap drinks, count us in! If you’re there on a Thursday, don’t miss out on the hermit crab races. Keep it weird.
There are quite a few breweries and beer bars spread throughout Fort Myers. During the weekend we checked out Southern Taproom, Palm City Brewing, Millennial Brewing Company, Fort Myers Brewing Co., Bury Me Brewing, and Coastal Dayz Brewing. Let’s be honest, I’m no beer genius, I just like to relax with a cold one in hand. My favorite beer was the Get Lei’d, a pineapple pilsner from Fort Myers Brewing Company only available on Sunday.
If you’re like me, and love to be extra touristy in Florida, stop at Sun Harvest Citrus. They have all the jams, juices, and souvenirs every good tourist shop provides. The real star of the show is of course the classic orange and vanilla swirl ice cream. You can’t leave a citrus shop without one!
Fort Myers is a nice change of pace from the overcrowded beaches in the Tampa area. If you’re looking for a weekend getaway and don’t mind adventuring around in a car to see all Fort Myers has to offer, check it out!
